USA > Missouri > Carroll County > History of Carroll County, Missouri : carefully written and compiled from the most authentic official and private sources, including a history of its townships, cities, towns and villages, together with a condensed history of Missouri ; the Constitution of the United States, and State of Missouri ; a military record of its volunteers in either army of the Great Civil War ; general and local statistics ; miscellany ; reminiscences, grave, tragic and humorous ; biographical sketches of prominent men and citizens identified with the interests of the country > Part 37
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As soon as the federals would permit him, Mirick crossed to the east bank of the Grand river, and found to his astonishment that Ballew had gone up the stream instead of toward the east and Poindexter. He did not stop to learn the reason for this move of his comrade, but kept straight on himself to Poindexter, whom he joined in a day or two.
SHOOTING OF AUSTIN AND WALDEN.
David's men had captured three prisoners this day. One of them was a citizen, Mr. Arch. Austin, who was taken while lying asleep under a tree in his own dooryard in the river 'bottom. What he was charged with is not known. It is said that he was very violent in his denunciation of the Federal government and of the Federals themselves-so violent that many think he could not have been perfectly sane .: . Two other
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prisoners were taken from Mirick and Ballew. Their names were Wal- den and Wallace. The next morning these three were, by order of Capt. David, sentenced to be shot. They were led out and placed in line and at the crack of the carbines all three fell. Only two of the men were hit, however: Austin and Walden were killed, but Wallace was not hurt, the bullet passing through his hat and barely grazing the top of his head. He was stunned and lay insensible for some time, and was much surprised, upon coming to his senses, at his situation, lying by his dead comrades and himself comparatively unhurt. His captors and would-be execution- ers had gone, and he lost no time in getting away and keeping away from the dreaded Penick's men. Afterward he surrended himself to Col. Hale and was released on bond; but before the war closed he again entered the Confederate Army, and lived to return to his home in the northern part of this county or southern part of Livingston. Austin's body was brought home by his friends and buried.
THE FIGHT AT COMPTON'S FERRY.
As before stated the Confederate force under Capt. Minick after it crossed Grand River, proceeded straight to the command of' Col. Poindex- ter, which was retreating from a strong force of Federals commanded by Col. Oden Guitar, of the 9th Cavalry, M. S. M. At Compton's Ferry the two contending forces came together. Accounts of what followed differ, Switzler's History of Missouri, (ed. 1879, p. 415,) says:
Continuing the pursuit, he (Col. Guitar) overtook Porter at 9 o'clock on Monday night, at Compton's Ferry, on Grand River. in Carroll county. A portion of Porter's men had crossed before his arrival, but a large num- ber, with all their baggage, horses, wagons, etc., were yet to cross. Guitar ordered his troops, portions of his own regiment, and portions of Merrill's Horse under Major C. B. Hunt, to charge, which they did, at the same time opening upon the demoralized and fleeing guerrillas with two pieces of artillery. The effect was terrible. Many in their eagerness to escape threw away their guns and plunged on their horses into the river, but many of the horses became unmanageable and returned to the shore from whence they started. Some were drowned. A large number of prisoners, all their baggage, together with a great number of horses, mules, guns, and wagons, were captured. Poindexter continued hurriedly in a northern direction, crossing the Hannibal & St. Joseph railroad at Utica on Tuesday morning. Near here he was intercepted and driven back by Gen. B. F. Loan. In his retreat south Guitar met him, on the 13th, at Yellow Creek, in Chariton county, again routing him and scat- tering and breaking up his band. Guitar then returned with his com- mand to Jefferson City.
The official report of the services of the 9th cavalry, M. S. M., says that Poindexter "at Little Compton, the crossing of Grand river, lost some one hundred men in killed, wounded and drowned in crossing the river."
On the other hand, Maj. Mirick states to the writer that no confede-
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rates were killed or even wounded at the crossing of Compton's Ferry, and it any prisoners or horses were taken they were but few. He further states that no wagons could have been captured by the federals, since Poindexter's men had no wagons or but little " baggage," as intimated by Switzler. He says further, that the entire federal account is largely over- drawn.
Maj. Mirick's account is that Col. Porter was not present with the con- federates on the occasion referred to, the force being led by Col. Poin- dexter; that upon reaching Grand river a strong rear guard was sent back to check the federals until the main body could get safely across; that this was done with but little difficulty, and even this rear guard got over the water in security; that after the portion of the command to which he was attached had gotten a mile away from the ferry, on the Carroll side, it was remembered that some powder had been left behind in a skiff used for crossing, and he and others went back for it; that at this time it was pitchy dark; that while Brooks Hancock was getting the powder from the boat the federal battery across the stream fired a round or two across into the Carroll side, with no other effect than to cause him and his companions to move a little livelier than common in getting away; that not a federal crossed the stream, and that it was a fortunate escape for Poindexter and his men while at the same time it was a very narrow one.
Opposed to Maj. Mirick's statement is the testimony of Dr. Brown, Wm. Creel, Thos. Ballew, (the latter a brother of Capt. Logan Ballew), and others who were citizens of the neighborhood at the time, and who state that they themselves assisted in the burial of from eight to eleven dead confederates, whose bodies were taken from the river a few days after the fight, by the citizens, there being no soldiers of either side in the neighborhood. Dr. Brown states that he assisted in the burial of eight. Mr. Ballew says he helped bury eleven. Other citizens say that seven- teen bodies in all were recovered, counting three skeletons found some weeks after the fight. Some of the bodies taken out of the river had bullet holes in them.
Mr. Ballew states that he was in Gen. Guitar's camp the morning after the fight, saw the wagons, etc., which he had captured, and afterward read his report of the affair, which he considered accurate and correct in the main. Gen. Guitar writes that he can fully substantiate his report. He says he captured five wagons, 300 or 350 guns-rifles, shot guns, etc. -60 horses, etc. These statements are given in justice to Gen. Guitar, and for the purpose of giving both sides a hearing. The reader may have some difficulty in reconciling Maj. Mirick's statements with the averments of Gen. Guitar and the citizens, but no more than has the writer, who has tried to tell but one story of the Compton's Ferry affair, but has signally failed.
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. Poindexter continued his retreat up Grand River, crossed the Hannibal & St. Joe in sight of Chillicothe, found a large federal force in his front, and again turned south. A few days afterward the Carroll county men, to the number of 25 or 30, under Capt. Mirick, left him, and crossing the Missouri at Arrow Rock, made their way to the confederate army in Arkansas.
Col. Poindexter was afterward captured by the federals, indicted for treason and rebellion, and kept a prisoner for some months .. While in Gratiot street prison, St. Louis, he addressed a letter to those of confed- erate sympathies in Northern Missouri, warning them of the perils and dangers of "bushwhacking," and advising everybody to support the Gam- ble government in its efforts to maintain law and order.
ORGANIZATION OF THE ENROLLED MISSOURI MILITIA.
In the early part of August, 1862, the organization of the enrolled Mis- souri militia began at Carrollton and in Carroll county. John B. Hale was appointed Colonel of what was known as the 65th enrolled Missouri militia, or E. M. M. The regiment consisted of ten companies and was composed of men from Carroll and Livingston. The officers were com- missioned at different periods in the fall of this year.
A great many members of the enrolled militia were not in hearty sym- pathy with the federal or union cause, and only joined it to escape the an- noyance to which they were subjected from certain federals, on account of being considered "rebels." They opposed bushwhacking and wanted peace and order restored in the county, but probably they would have been better pleased if Grant had surrendered to Lee at Appomattox Court House. It must not be supposed, however, that anything near a majority of the militia were confederates at heart, for the most of the members were in truth and fact ardent Union men.
Other officers of the 65th, from Carroll county, were . Majors Jesse J. Wall, F. M. Bradford and George Deigel; Adjutant, O. J. Kerby; Sur- geon, Chas. Heidel; and Captains Wm. H. Henderson, Wakefield Stan- ley, Thomas S. Carey, Wm. M. Eads, David Neithercutt and D. C. Hen- ning. There was another company from this county in the 35th E. M. M., Col. W. S. Moberly. This company was organized about De Witt, and was commanded by Capt. D. A. Calvert. .
PENICK'S MEN.
On the return of Capt. David from the pursuit of Minick and Ballew, he went into camp or garrison at Carrollton. He was appointed com- mander of the post and of the district comprised in the county of Carroll, and remained here some two months.
Captain Daniel H. David, when he took command at Carrollton, was about thirty years of age. He had been a steamboat captain before the
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war, so he said, and in 1862 had enlisted in the federal service as captain of company B, 5th cavalry M. S. M., of the old organization, under Col. Wm. B. Penick, of St. Joe. The regiment gained for itself much unfa- vorable notoriety. It was known and is still spoken of as "Penick's thieves." After being in service about one year, it was mustered out at St. Joseph, "in view of the interest of the public service," as the order of the commander-in-chief stated, and it is stated that this was because of the reputation of the command for lawless insubordination, and conduct unworthy of soldiers generally.
Capt. David arrested a great number of the citizens of the county on charge of disloyalty. Many of these he released upon their giving bonds for their loyal behavior in the future; some he released without bonds, as his whim or caprice was, and a few he carried away with him. He was a blustering, drunken, profane, ill-manered, brutal character, and his administration of affairs gave no great satisfaction to anybody. His men committed many excesses in the country, and their memory to this day is greatly execrated. "Penick's men" and the "Grundy county militia" are declared to have been the worst behaved federal troops that ever were in the county. They are charged with every crime in the calendar, from petit larceny to murder.
It is said that when a citizen was brought before him, David usually greeted him with a volley of oaths and epithets which he would continue to utter until the prisoner would sometimes be terrified out of his wits. But many a shrewd "secesh" obtained better treatment by bribing the shoulder-strapped roysterer with a drink or so of whisky.
David did but little fighting or even genuine scouting. On one occasion the bush whackers were reported to be in the bottom, and David, at the head of his command, started to investigate. On his way he had to pass by the residence of Mr. Trundle. The latter was largely engaged in hemp raising, and had a number hands whom he called to and from their labors with a large farm bell. . As David, at the head of his command, approached the Trundle residence, it chanced that the bell rang to sum- mon the slaves to work. The valorous federal thought this a bushwhack- ers' signal for the assemblage of the clan, or at least a warning of some dire import, and so he halted. It took but a few moments of considera -. tion for him to decide. "There are probably a thousand of them," he said, "and it is not safe to attack them without re-enforcements." And so saying he turned back to Carrollton.
Upon the departure of David he took with him Esq. Blackwell and other reputable citizens, who were not in arms against the Federal gov- ernment, neither had they given "aid and comfort to the enemy," but all the same they were carried away to Independence, and not released for some days. After Penick's men left, the militia took charge of the post,
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and the county, and in the latter part of October, Col. John B. Hale in command. Col. Hale's administration gave very general satisfaction. He was an old citizen of the county himself, knew all of its people, and sym- pathized with their personal troubles. He had no enemies to punish, and did not signalize his career with any acts of violence yet to be deplored.
Carey's company, or " the militia from the Gourd," did not like rebels or their friends, and were much complained of. They kept up their scouting however, very fairly, upon the whole, and prevented the forma- tion of squads of recruits for the Confederate service, as is alleged at this day.
There were some alarms given of the approach of a large Confederate force into the county at one time in November, and Jim Rider, a Confed- erate leader, bold and adventurous, but not scrupulously honest, and with a fondness for horse-flesh, kept up an interest in his movements as he passed through the county at various times and on different routes. Rider was afterward captured but made his escape. He was dreaded by many of the Union citizens of the county, and by some of the Confederates.
During the summer Rider made a dash into Carrollton, at the head of a small squad, and before he could be prevented robbed the store of a Mr. Best, and then made his escape unmolested and without difficulty.
SKIRMISH NEAR ROCK FORD.
In October, Capt. Logan Ballew was heard of over on Grand River, with a force of Confederates estimated to number from six to sixty. Capt. Eads, at the head of his company of militia, was sent after them. He went to the north-east corner of De Witt township, and to Ballew's premises, where he encamped one night, and was joined by a company of Grundy county militia. The next morning, the camp of the Confed- erates was found, but Ballew and his men had fled; a man or two were seen in rapid retreat. From the indications, it seemed that Ballew was trying to get into Chariton county by way of the Rock Ford. Eads gal- loped to the ford in order to intercept the Confederates, and on his arrival found that they had not yet come up. Accordingly he sent Lieut. Jacobs with thirty men to get in the rear of Ballew and drive him into the trap set for him at the Rock Ford.
Jacobs soon found that the Confederates Had already crossed Grand River at a point below Rock Ford, and were already on the Chariton county side and moving rapidly toward the north. Being joined by the Grundy county militia, Jacobs followed in close pursuit. Ballew, with whom at this time, Jim Rider is said to have been, dismounted his men, sixteen in number, and ambushed them under the bank of the Grand River. When the Federals came up, the Confederates opened fire, killing Judge Toles- ton, of Grundy county, and wounding a militiaman. Jacobs' men returned
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the fire, mortally wounding a young man named Noah Woolsey son of Stephen Woolsey, of this county, and severely injuring another. A charge being made, nine Confederates were taken prisoners, and the 16 horses belonging to the band were captured. Ballew and Rider, (if the latter was present), escaped.
The body of young Woolsey was carried by his father to the Rock Ford, and there buried. It is said that Mr. Woolsey placed the body of his son in front of him as he rode along on horseback, and in this way removed it to its last resting place. This is only one of the many dreadful incidents of the civil war in Missouri.
The Grundy county militia rode away into Chariton county, and Jacobs returned to the main body at the Rock ford, where he found that Capt. Eads had been taken suddenly and violently sick, and was unable to dis- charge the duties of his position. Accordingly, Jacobs himself took com- mand of the company and led it away.
By the last of this year the Union authority was well established in the county, and the Union sentiment largely predominated. The confeder- ate sympathizers had but little to encourage them. News constantly came of the Union victories and confederate defeats, and there was not much of promise in the future. At the desperate battle of Corinth, Miss, Oct 4, 1862, there fell on the confederate side Col. Jas. A. Pritchard and other Carroll county men, and when this news reached the county there was general sorrow, even among the Union men, while the confederates were especially depressed.
CARROLL COUNTY IN 1863-THE THIRD YEAR OF THE WAR.
On January 17, the Carrollton Democrat was re-issued, the office hav- ing been destroyed by Capt. Mirick's men the previous July. A. J. Kerby was the new proprietor and editor, he having purchased the interest of James O'Gorman. The new edition was a folio containing six columns to the page. The first issue contained a poetical (?) history of the destruction of the office and its resurrection, reciting among other things, how-
Mirick, of rebel renown,
With a company of rebels soon visited town; When, to save himself whole, the editor flew, Likewise the publishers, and young "devils," too. * They scattered our type, and broke up our press.
* Made "pi" of our "matter," and tore up our "dress," And the pavement below the sad sight revealed,
Of the wreck of our "forms" on this battle field . * *
* But the storms of that time have now passed away And left us in hope of a happier day .
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The Democrat avowed itself still a Union paper, opposed to both seces- sion and abolition.
At Carrollton Company F, 65th E. M. M. was on duty. . It was out several times after Rider, who was captured by the Saline county militia in January. About the same time Capt. Logan H. Ballew was taken ·prisoner down near Brunswick, and carried to Glasgow.
The news of the fight at Springfield, January 8, and the defeat of the confederates under Marmaduke and Shelby was read with much interest by the people, since a number of Carroll county men were in the fight on both sides. The companies of Captains McMurtry, Mayo, and King of the Third cavalry, M. S. M., were present on the Union, or federal side, and the Carroll county men in Shelby's regiment represented the confed- erates. It was at first reported that among the confederates killed were John Buffington, Ben Bowdry, Frank Bottoms, and Sharp, but this report was incorrect except as to Buffington, who was killed. :
Owing to the disturbed condition of affairs prices of real estate in the county rapidly declined. In March, R. D. Ray offered 960 acres of land in the county at one dollar per acre, the property all being in one body.
On the 17th of March Mrs. Penelope Curl, know as Granny Curl, died at Harmon Boothe's at the age of 89. She had been a resident of the state for thirty-four years, and at her death left exactly 100 grand chil- dren.
: On the 5th of April Col. John B. Hale, of the 65th E. M. M., was com- missioned colonel of the Second provisional regiment of enrolled. militia and commenced the work of organizing the new regiment soon after with headquarters first at Carrollton and afterward at Richmond. His orders were to first call for volunteers from the 44th, 30th, 65th, 41st, 48th, 33d, and 57th regiments E. M. M., and if in four weeks he should not succeed in procuring enough men to fill up the new regiment he was to make forced details of a sufficient number.
In this month the militia arrested Capt. C. M. Morrison charged with having served six months as Captain in the rebel army; Willis E. Wil- liams, "treasonable correspondence;" Balden Hutchison, reported as deserting a Kansas regiment and afterwards connecting himself with bushwackers and horse thieves; Joel E. Anderson, " disloyal expressions." All the prisoners were sent to St. Joseph for trial.
Judge Thomas Minnis, a citizen of the county since 1820, a soldier of the war of 1812, and a county officer in various capacities for several years, died April 27, aged 71.
Capt. Calvert's company of the 2d Provisional Regiment, numbering 80 men, were stationed. at Carrollton about the middle of May. The company encamped in the court house square. The men were all uni- formed in blue and were supplied with U. S. tents. Capt. S. B. Wait was
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appointed provost marshal and he and David Gilbert and B. F. Bradford composed a military board of commission to examine into offenses against the United States committed by citizens of the county. Capt. W. M. Eads was appointed Enrolling officer.
On the 21st of May the steamer Magenta sank in the Missouri, about one mile below DeWitt. ' The boat struck a snag. There was quite a quantity of freight lost, but no lives.
Union meetings were held in Carrollton in May addressed by Judge Ryland of Lexington and Dr. Logan of De Witt. The meetings indicated that a large majority of the county's people were "unconditionally for the Union."
THE GUERRILLAS.
By the spring of 1863 there were in considerable force in this portion of Missouri bands of armed men called " The Guerrillas " or the " Bushwack- ers." There was a difference between the guerrilla and the bush wacker. Every guerrilla was a bushwacker, but every bushwacker was not a guer- rilla. The guerrillas fought, murdered, and plundered. The bushwackers often only fought. A bushwacker concealed himself and when in ambush . fired upon his enemy, or in other ways took advantage of him to slay him, but did not always rob him. The guerrilla did all that the bushwacker did and more. He sometimes fought openly, but seldom fairly; shot down without mercy and in the presence of his family many a harmless citizen; scalped, cut off the heads and otherwise horribly mutilated the bodies of his victims; and plundered and robbed and burned without scruple.
There were guerrillas and bushwackers on both sides during the civil. war, but only the Confederates were avowedly so. The Federals who practiced bushwacking and robbing and murdering were regularly organ- ized, mustered into service, properly officered, armed and uniformed, and had no warrant for the outrages they perpetrated. The Confederate guerrillas were commanded by leaders of their own selection who had no commissions from the regular Confederate authorities, and from whom they received neither arms, uniform, pay or encouragement. They clothed themselves, for the most part, in blue, the uniform of their enemies, in order that they might the more readily deceive them. They armed them- selves as best they could, and paid themselves by plunder.
The confederate guerrillas were not at all destitute of physical courage. They would fight desperately and bravely, and often worsted and defeated bodies.of the militia outnumbering them. They often acted in the most cowardly manner, however, and were, uniformly murderous and merci- less. Their life was a hard one. Usually they camped in the woods and in other secluded places, and what sleep they had was obtained in the open air, sometimes upon the ground, and frequently in their saddles as they
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HISTORY OF CARROLL COUNTY.
rode along. They ate when they could. From loss of sleep and fatigue their faculties were more or less benumbed, and from nature they were desperate, and when they were in real danger they seldom realized the fact. Their leaders were selected because of their insensibility to fear more than from any other quality.
It is sometimes attempted to make heroes of these guerrillas. Apolo- gies are offered for their conduct, by asserting that they fought for revenge. In some instances this may be true, but invariably, their vengeance fell upon the wholly innocent. A false statement' is current, that Quantrell, the chief leader of the confederate guerrillas in Missouri, fought to avenge the murder of a brother by the Free State men of Kansas, five years before the breaking out of the civil war! But Quantrell himself, was a Free State man up to the fall of 1860, and the blood of at least two pro-slavery men of Missouri was on his hands before . he proclaimed himself anything but a " Kansas Jayhawker." Bill Anderson, it is said, fought to avenge the death of a sister who was killed at Kansas City, by the falling of a house in which she was confined as a confederate spy and an aider of con- federates; but Anderson was a guerrilla months before this happened, and it is difficult to see how he could glut his vengeance by the plunder of court houses, the robbery of watches and other property from people who had never heard that he had a sister, and the murder of those who would have sympathized with him in his bereavement, had they known of it. George Todd was a guerrilla by instinct; Dave Poole was a drunken ruffian before the war began. Other leaders may or may not have had wrongs to redress, but they never sought satisfaction on the alleged per- petrators.
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